The West Region

Name: Kelli Cross

Time Allotted: 55 Min.
th
Grade Level: 4
Subject(s): Social Studies
Materials Required:
The West Region Graphic Organizer
Social Studies Alive!: Regions of Our Country
Mini-Research Project Worksheet
http://www.planetozkids.com/Ace_Detectives/ghostmine/casenotes/mojave-desert-moreinformation.html
http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-68179/Kilauea-on-the-Big-Island-of-Hawaii-isthe-worlds?&articleTypeId=38 and http://www.kilaueaadventure.com/mount-kilaueafacts.php
http://geography.about.com/od/unitedstatesofamerica/a/deathvalley.htm
http://www.spaceneedle.com/fun-facts/
Menu Board
Menu Board Rubric
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO1OOm7uH2E
Michigan Content Expectations:
4 G1.0.4 Use geographic tools and technologies, stories, songs, and pictures to answer
geographic questions about the United States.
* The question about the United States the students will be answering through the summative
assessment is what are some characteristics of the West region? This lesson is in preparation
for the standard: 4 G2.0.2 Compare human and physical characteristics of a region to which
Michigan belongs (e.g., Great Lakes, Midwest) with those of another region in the United
States. First we will learn about each region, and then compare other regions with the Midwest.
Objective:
Objective 1: The students will identify characteristics about the West so that they can create a
project in which they describe the West where they demonstrate 3 out of 4 or higher proficiency
on the rubric.
Assessment:
Objective 1 Formal Formative Assessment: After students read from Social Studies
Alive!: Regions of Our Country and fill out the graphic organizer with information that
have learned from the reading, ask the class to give you a thumbs up if they have at least
5 characteristics on their graphic organizer. If some pairs have thumbs down, give them
another minute to work and individually assist pairs who do not yet have five
characteristics.
Objective 1 Formal Formative Assessment 2: After students have completed their
mini-research project and are sharing with a partner, walk around and look at their
worksheets to make sure they have at least five facts about their object written. Students

who do not have five written can work with me or individually during independent
practice to do more research.
Objective 1 Formal Interim/Summative Assessment: The students will have the
options of the menu board for the final assessment.

Instructional Procedure:
1. Anticipatory Set: (5 Min.)
a. Ask the students if anyone has been to the West region before.
b. Say during this unit we have been learning about our home, and today we are
going to learn about our home as a region: The West.
c. Remind the students as always, I expect you to work hard and be respectful as
you will be working with your classmates. I also expect that you will try your best
and to think outside of the box.
d. Pass out the West Graphic Organizer. Listen to the song and watch the video at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=6nexk0tSpnE&list=PLkeLQieTmtHOelh3HXQ3eY0Imy-px78_M&index=7
Have the students read along with the lyrics or read them after to help them fill
out their graphic organizer with characteristics of the West they hear from the
song.

2. State Purpose and Objective of Lesson: (2 Min.)

a. Say, I want you to learn about characteristics of the West region so that you can
work in groups to create a project in which you describe the West and earn at least
3 out of 4 on the rubric.
b. Ask the students why is it important to learn about the West region? Lead them
to understand this is important because it is part of our country, which is our
home.
c. Say, This lesson is important because we will need to know this for future
lessons. We will be learning about all the regions in the United States and then we
will be comparing other regions with the Midwest to see how they are alike and
how they are different, through this we can see the uniqueness of our home
region.

3. Instruction: (38 Min.)

a. Direct Interactive Instruction:
i. Describe what the teacher will do TTW The teacher will facilitate the
class into reading about the West and filling out a graphic organizer in
pairs, groups, and as a whole class. The teacher will then facilitate the
mini-research project and the menu board project for the students.
ii. Describe what the student will do TSW The students will read about the
West and fill out the graphic organizer with characteristics of the West.
They will conduct a mini-research project studying one object in the West

and then create a final project which encompasses different characteristics

of the West.
b. Modeling: (12 Min.)
i. In partners, have students read page 20 and page 144 out of Social
Studies Alive!: Regions of Our Country and fill out the graphic organizer
with information that have learned from the reading. Suggest that one
student reads aloud one page and the other reads aloud the other page.
(Objective 1 Informal Formative Assessment) After 5 minutes, ask the
class to give you a thumbs up if they have at least 5 characteristics on their
graphic organizer.
ii. Then have the pairs get in groups of four and each share one thing they
learned from the reading. Have them decide on one characteristic they
want to share with the class.
iii. Call on each group to share one characteristic with the class and have
them write it on the board in the graphic organizer. (Prior to the lesson,
draw the graphic organizer on the board.)
c. Guided Practice: (15 Min.)
i. Allow the students to use laptops, iPads, or go to the library to research
one of the following: The Mojave Desert, Kilauea volcano in Hawaii,
Death Valley, or the Space Needle in Seattle. (Prior to the lesson, pull up
the websites or have them bookmarked). Have them create their own
graphic organizer or list of at least five details from the object they
research. If they have extra time, they may draw a picture of the object.
1. The Mojave Desert:
http://www.planetozkids.com/Ace_Detectives/ghostmine/casenotes
/mojave-desert-more-information.html
2. Kilauea volcano in Hawaii:
http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-68179/Kilauea-on-theBig-Island-of-Hawaii-is-the-worlds?&articleTypeId=38 and
http://www.kilaueaadventure.com/mount-kilauea-facts.php
3. Death Valley:
http://geography.about.com/od/unitedstatesofamerica/a/deathvalley
.htm
4. Space Needle in Seattle: http://www.spaceneedle.com/fun-facts/
ii. Have the students find another person in the class that researched the same
object as they did and share what they found. Then after three minutes,
have the students find another student who researched a different object
and share what they learned with that student. (Objective 1 Formal
Formative Assessment) While students are sharing, walk around and look
at their worksheet to ensure they have at least five facts written. If they do
not, work with them or allow them to work individually during
independent practice so that they may do the necessary research to learn at
least five details of the object they chose.
d. Independent Practice: (11 Min.)

4.

Students will have the option from the menu board for a final project.
They will work individually in class and may take the project home.

Differentiated Consideration
Students who finish quickly but may or may not have mastered the objectives should
fill in their graphic organizers with more characteristics of the West. They may use
the book and websites used during this lesson to learn more about the West.
Students who struggle to complete activity/assessments may take their work home
and may be given individual assistance. They can also get help from a partner in the
class who has shown proficiency.
Students who show proficiency early will be asked to go more in depth with their
research. They may do two or more mini-research projects and can share their
findings with the class.
Students who are still not proficient near end of lesson may work with me
individually after class or may take the book home to reread the material and/or read
more about the West.
Students who need different modes of learning or learn through a different multiple
intelligence strategies than what was delivered may access this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO1OOm7uH2E. There are embed multiple
options of assessment for students to choose how they best learn and how best they
would show proficiency by choosing which project to create from the menu board.

5. Closure: (10 Min.)

a. With the last 10 minutes of class, I will bring the students all back together to
conclude the lesson. I will restate the objectives for the students from the lesson.
b. To have the students summarize the objectives and what they have learned, they
will be given a piece of paper that resembles a yellow brick, from the yellow brick
road. On the brick they will write one complete the sentence Theres no place
like home because... The students will write one way there is no place like home
in regards to the lesson they have created. This brick will be their ticket out of the
door for each lesson. After each lesson the brick will be added to the yellow brick
road, leading the students one step closer to Oz.
c. The students can share with a partner about why theres no place like home based
on the lesson.
d. This lesson connects to our theme of Theres No Place like Home because they
will be identifying different aspects of how their home is unique. Each lesson
throughout this thematic unit will be building the students knowledge of what
makes their home unique.
6. References:
Bower, B., Lobdell, J., & Teachers' Curriculum Institute. (2003). Social studies
alive!: Regions of our country. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers' Curriculum
Institute.

Brooten, K. (2013, July 24). The West Region. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=CO1OOm7uH2E
Garca, J. R., & Silver Burdett Ginn (Firm). (1997). Regions and resources: Teaching
guide 4. Parsipanny, NJ: Silver Burdett Ginn.
Name___________________________

Mini-Research Project
Research one of the following:
The Mojave Desert:
http://www.planetozkids.com/Ace_Detectives/ghostmine/casenotes/mojave-desert-moreinformation.html
The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii: http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-68179/Kilaueaon-the-Big-Island-of-Hawaii-is-the-worlds?&articleTypeId=38 and
http://www.kilaueaadventure.com/mount-kilauea-facts.php
Death Valley: http://geography.about.com/od/unitedstatesofamerica/a/deathvalley.htm
The Space Needle in Seattle: http://www.spaceneedle.com/fun-facts/
In the space below, create a graphic organizer or a list of at least 5 details from the object you
research. If you have extra time, draw a picture of the object.
I am researching______________________________________________
It is a _________________________________ characteristic of the West.
(human or physical)

Resources
Water

Land

The
West
Region
Climate

Create a Poster

Create a Song/Poem

Create a Drawing

Be creative and create a poster that

describes the human and physical
characteristics of the West region

Be creative and create a song or

poem that describes the human and
physical characteristics of the West
region

Be creative and create a drawing that

describes the human and physical
characteristics of the West region.

Create a Writing

Pick Your Project

Create a Your Choice

Be creative and write an essay that

describes the human and physical
characteristics of the West region.

Select any of the options on this

menu to describe the human and
physical characteristics of the West
region.
See the rubric for specifics that
must be include.

Dont see an option on the PYP Menu?

Create your own choice of how you want
to compare the human and physical
characteristics of the West region.
This idea must be approved by the teacher
first.

Create a Presentation

Create a Brochure

Create a Video

Be creative and create a presentation

that describes the human and physical
characteristics of the West region.

Be creative and create a brochure

that describes the human and
physical characteristics of the West
region.

Be creative and create a video that

describes the human and physical
characteristics of the West region.

Menu Board

Menu Board Rubric

4 pts
Excellent
The student clearly
identified 5 or more
human and physical
characteristics of the West
region.

3 pts
Proficient
The clearly student
identified 4 human and
physical characteristics of
the West region.

2 pts
Emerging
The student identified 2 or
3 human and physical
characteristics of the West
region.

1 pts
Unsatisfactory
The student identified 1
human and physical
characteristics of the West
region.